Dengue fever and the hurricane
Based on the forecasted track yesterday, it seems certain that Hurricane Irene will hit some parts of The Bahamas. If the eye of the system passes over New Providence, the heavy rainfall associated with the storm could add to the dengue fever problem we already have on our main island.
The Ministry of Health last week confirmed that there have been more than 3,000 cases of dengue fever in The Bahamas since the recent outbreak began. There has also been a confirmed death from the virus. The middle-aged woman’s death was one of four deaths the Ministry of Health was investigating last week. However, it is assumed that there have been more cases and deaths than have been reported.
The outbreak has been so bad that the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) has asked all individuals experiencing dengue fever symptoms to contact its hotline to speak with a healthcare professional in order to obtain the relevant information before coming to hospital.
Irregular garbage collection and inadequate fogging by the Department of Environmental Health Services have been suggested by some as contributing factors behind the outbreak. The virus is spread by the bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito.
New Providence has long had a poor drainage system that is inadequately maintained. Any rain causes flooding in the most developed island in the country.
The Ministry of Public Works and the Ministry of the Environment need to prepare for what is to come. Those drains that have not been serviced in a while need to be cleared in the short time we have left before the storm hits.
We also need to ensure that fogging is increased, considering that as a result of the storm there will be more standing water on the island that mosquitoes could breed in.
This dengue fever outbreak has taken a toll. It has harmed and killed Bahamians, reduced productivity at businesses due to staff illness and it has been a burden on the health care system and insurance companies.
An expansion of the outbreak could lead to problems with our tourism industry. The United States has already warned its citizens about the outbreak.
The government has urged residents to do their part to help with the problem. We agree that residents should ensure that outdoor containers that could store water should be removed, or regularly emptied, to eliminate breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
These micro-level activities are essential. However, the government also has to ensure that those necessary macro-level preventative measures are done to minimize the likelihood of a further expansion of the outbreak.
Aug 23, 2011
